The smell of sweet chocolate rising up to our nostrils from the tips of our lips as we took bite after bite of an amazing milk chocolate peanut butter bar from Ethel M Chocolates was captivating. We shared it as we walked around and ran up and down trails where there were no people. We saw a barrel cactus, Joshua trees, prickling pears, Beavertail, and many more beautiful plants. Baja Fairy Duster wisped in the wind and had bees working around the clock on the flowers. My daughter was fascinated with the lava rock out of everything. The colors of the lava rock were so beautiful on this cloudy day. I saw an amazing Dioxide Purple mixed with Permanent Alizarin Red, which I love to paint with my watercolor from Winsor Newton. For those of you who are not artists and follow my blog, it was a beautiful mix of violet, dark red, and a bit of pink. The desert really comes alive in the cactus garden especially on rainy days. Ethel M is well taken care of. The plants are nicely spaced so they are all very appealing to the eyes.
The people inside the chocolate factory at the gift shop are very, very nice. They offered us a sample of one of their truffles which we also enjoyed. Bittersweet chocolate with a creamy vanilla center touched our lips and tickled our taste buds with such an amazing flavor. My daughter is so good at sharing so she had a teeny little bite and then gave the rest to “mama.“ She had a tiny little taste of two little treats. Then, she danced to the music that they played at the cactus garden while lifting her pink boots up into the air. We brought her cute little rainbow umbrella, just in case it rained, but we were lucky. Drops came when we arrived and caressed the windshield of our car, then ceased to continue before we even walked around. It was a very lovely day outside and I look forward to sketching about it in our book. What did you all do today? Thank you for reading and I hope you had a wonderful Wednesday!
– Karen Hilliard
Also, if you would like another way to show support, I have a few options. “Buy me a coffee” which is a way for anyone to contribute to the creative process behind the paintings. Fuel the artist so to speak. Here is the link if you are interested. The funds go to supplies and gas to get out to the trails. I truly appreciate the support and the fact that you are liking these blogs, as well as my art posts. I am working hard to bring you all fresh content! Here is the link to my Instagram where I try to post daily. You can also find me on Facebook at my art page Karen Hilliard Art.
If you would like to, please leave your Social Media handle on the “Buy me a Coffee” page so I can thank you in my Instagram/Facebook Stories! 🙂
Thank you again for all of your support!
